Cellulose-acetate composition and process of making the same.



finis es.

anrnua nrcirnnenun, or BERLIN, ennnanr.

cnmunosn-son'rarn coMrosI'rIoN aim rnoenss or MAKING- T E sans.

.Ito Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: I v Be it known that I, ARTHUR EIoHENeRt'IN,

doctorof philosophy, chemist, a subject of the King of Prussia and the German Emperor, residing at "87 Konstanzerstrasse,' Berlin, Kingdom. of Prussia, German Empire, have lnvented new and useful Improvements in Cellulose-Acetate Composi- This is slowly heated with constant agita-' 'tion to hols under the action of heat.

tions andProcesses of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new compositions of matter comprising cellulose acetates,

and the manufacture of said compositions, and has for its object to obtain solutions of cellulose acetates which are more adapted for manufacturing celluloid like masses,

varnishes, coating, etc., than the solutions of cellulose acetates hitherto known.

I have found that cellulose acetates particularly those soluble in acetone or acetic ether,'can be readily converted into solutions, adapted to be worked up further into plastic masses, by the simultaneous action of alcohols and other liquids which do notdissolve cellulose acetates when heated or when cold. I have especially found mixtures of hydrocarbons and alcohols as suitable for my purposes. Cellulose acetates are insoluble in highly concentrated alcohols alone and inhydrocarbons alone both when heated and when cold; on the other hand, as I have discovered, they will dissolve ina mixture of hydrocarbons and alco- Of alcohols particularly the aliphatic have proved suitable, and of hydrocarbons the aromatic. Those boiling below 100 C. come particularly into consideration. The choice of the substances depends on the price.

y process is carried intopractice by treating the cellulose acetate which is to be dissolved with the mixture of hydrocarbon and alcohol and heating the same. It is preferable to heat to approximately the boil mg ceedlng the same. I

Example I: 2 kg. cellulose acetate soluble iii-acetic ether and made by mineral acid acting on cellulose acetate soluble in chloroform are transfused with a mix'tureof 10 kg. ethyl hloohol and 10 kg. benzene C I-I 0., which is preferably done in the water-bath, and heated finally to the boiling point of the mixture of benzol and Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 21, 1910. Seria11qo..539,2a6.

' further.

point of the-mixed solvent without ex- Patented Jan. 16,1912.

ethyl alcohol (about 7 5 The cellulose acetate is completely dissolved.

Example] II: 2 kg. cellulose acetate are mixed with 2% kg. methyl alcohol and 2 kg.

toluol and heated, at first slowly, until about 60 C. and finally to a temperature up to the boiling point of the is completely precipitated in the form of a voluminous fibrous mass. This precipitation can be prevented by adding to the solution or directly to the solvent mixture used for the solution solvents which are capable ofdissolving the acetates even when cold, such as acetone, acetic ether, acetic acid.

In this manner solutions of cellulose acetate which remain fluent or liquid or have a syrupy character are obtained. which are able to dissolve cellulose acetate act in like manner, such as dichlorhydrin, acetate of glycerin, ether of lactic acid, and so on. When cold, honey-like viscous or gelatinizing masses are obtained according in each instance to the quantity of these ad-. mixtures. This is particularly the case when, as admixture,,camphor or camphor substitutes, primary and secondary aromatic amins, aromatic sulfo compounds, aromatic nitro compounds, phenol derivatives are employed as admixture. The admixture of cellulose acetates, solvent and camphor substitute, when employed in the proper proportions to obtain solid orfirm bodies can be allowed to cool and congeal after solu- 'tion has taken place. Blocks are obtained which in spite of the presence of the entire solvent can be cut and readily Worked up The melted masses may be molded while still molten and only then allowed to congeal. For example they may be allowed to pass through round orifices and in this manner tubes, round rods, threads, filaments or the like' can be obtained.

Admixtures under the present invention in such proportions and of such character as to yield firm plastics, suitable as substitutes for celluloid and the like, being hard when cold andpossessing springy elastic yproperties, I do not however herein claim,

such compositions, and the processes of making the same, forming part of the subject matter of my copending and divisional ap; plication 607,617, filedFebruary 9, 1911.

:The solvents and the admixtures may be Substances mixed solvent. When the solutions cool the cellulose acetate such as acidyl derivatives of ticeby adding the liquids in succession, or

' 400 grins. dichlorhydrin and 2 kg. acetin by first mixing cellulose acetate with camphor or camphor substitutes and subsequently adding the solvents. k

Example III: 2 kg. cellulose acetate are transfused with a mixture of kg. alcohol and 10 kg. benzene, first heated with agitation to 60 C. and finally to the boilingpoint. The mixture is allowed to cool when (diacetate of glycerin) are added. A viscous solution is obtained which can readily be poured over sup orts.

Example IV: 2 mixed with 1 kg. acetochlorhydrin, to which 2% kg. methyl alcohol and 2 .ftoluol are i added, heated slowly, with stirrmg, to about 60 C. A viscous solution is formed which when cold congeals to a firm gelatinous mass and can be readily converted by heat into a liquid condition without a liquid part separating oft.

Example V: 2 kg. cellulose acetate, l kg. acetate of glycerin, 3 kg. ethyl alcohol and 3 kg. benzene are mixed together and heated to about 60.? C. when a homogeneous, transparent, plastic mass is obtained which when cold forms a firm blockable to be cut,

pressed and molded.

Example VI: 2 kg..cellulose acetate are mixed with stirrin with 6 kg. acetone until v a uniform, syru ike solution is obtained. 45.

5kg. benzene an 5 k alcohol are added to this solution. When 'eated'to about to' 60 0. two layers which do not mix are first formed, but after'a time a perfectly homo- .geneous solution is produced which can be diluted optionally byfurther uantitiesof thealcohol-benzol mixture. A so, cellulose acetate may be treated directly with a mixture ofsolven'ts, such as acetone, and nonsolvents, such as alcohol and benzene, without heatin being necessar Also, acetone may be a ded to the alco ol-benzene solutionsand the same may be substituted.v

wholly'or partially by other solvents, such as acetic ether, glacial acetic 8.Cid,'.01 such may be added to the mixture. Benzene may be substituted wholly or partiall by other liquids, for example water. In a 1 instances viscous, but relatively weak solutions are obtained which congeal only after some time according, in. each instance, to the quantity g. cellulose acetate are" of acetone or solvent admixture, or become viscous or remain permanently liquid.

What'I claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The'herein described process of manufacturing solutions .of cellulose acetates,

which comprises treating cellulose 'acetates with mixtures of alcohols and hydrocarbons under the action of heat.

2. A composition comprising a cellulose acetate dissolved in an alcohol and a hydrocarbon.

3. The process. of manufacturing solutions ofcellulose acetates, which cpnhprises forming a mixture of aliphatic alcohol and. an aromatic hydrocarbon, placing the cellulose acetate in the mixture and subjecting the mass to the action-of heat. I v r 4. The process of manufacturing. solu tions of cellulose acetates, which comprises mixingequal quantities by weight of alcohol and a hydrocarbon, adding thereto onetenth the amount in weight of cellulose acetate, heatingslowly, under constant agitation, up to C. and then raising the temperature up to the boiling point of the mixture'of alcoholand hydrocarbon. I 532F116 process of manufacturing 'solutions of cellulose acetates, which comprises forming a mixture of cellulose acetate, methyl alcohol and benzol, heating the same slowly up to the boiling point of the alcohol and benzol mixture and adding to said solution a solvent capable of dissolving the acetates when cold. I

6. A. composition comprising ajcell ulose acetate dissolved in liquid aliphatic alcohols and liquid aromatic hydrocarbons; 7.. The herein described process of manufacturing compositions comprising a cellulose acetate which comprises treating such acetate with a mixture comprising ianalco- 01 and a hydrocarbon under the actionof eat 8. As a new composition of matter, a fluent composition ada ted'forvarnishing, impregnating and the l ke, said composition comprising a oelluloseacetate and a substance normally having solvent power for such acetate, together with'a solvent mixture comprising two non-solvents for such acetate, one such non-solvent being an alco? hol'and the other being a hydrocarbon.

9. As a new composition of matter, a .fiuent solution comprlsing a cellulose acetate and about tentimes as much of a solvent mixture comprising substantially equal roportions of an alcohol and a hydrocar on, such solution being'homogeneous.

10. The process of manufacturin fluent solutions of cellulose acetate whic comrises mixin substantially equal quantities y weight 0 an alcohol and a hydrocarbon adding thereto about a tenth the tota amount in weight of cellulose acetate, heat-' ing slowly under constant agitation up to In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 60 C., and then raising the temperature up in presence of two witnesses. to. the boiling point of the mixture of alcohol and hydrocarbon, a'body normally ha-V- I ARTHUR EICHENGRUN' 5 ing solvent power for cellulose acetate being Witnesses:

added to the admixture during the dissolv- HENRY HASPER,

ing operation. WoLDEMAR HAUPT. 

